Thailand boosts tourism with free SIM cards and digital privileges for visitors

[Guderian]

Comes with a free Thai TIN so you can enjoy the privilege of paying Thai taxes on your income and savings while you are in Thailand!

[KannikaP]

1 hour ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Maybe someone might like to re-think this statement or article. Only one million cards available for ALL foreign visitors during a 2.5 year period. Really? None of this makes sense - except to a Thai, I suppose.

The distribution is set to start on Tuesday, October 17 this year and will go on until March 31, 2027, to all foreign visitors landing in Thailand. 

 

Where does your 2.5 years come into it?

[madmitch]

5 hours ago, webfact said:

 

Certainly not a new initiative. If they use common sense they will hand this package of goodies out in return for the 300 baht entrance fee so it seems thaat tourists will be getting something for their money....if that ever happens!

[Nickcage49]

I'm sure this will draw at least 100 million tourists in a week...

[Cake Monster]

Probably a better idea to give out free Condoms and KY jelly

[pedro01]

1 hour ago, 007 RED said:

Simple.... They (TAT) forgot to mention one very important thing.... In order to get their 'free' SIM card the tourist will have to hand over their passport, sign copies of their biographical page and visa, list where they will be staying (modified TM47) and then provide details of their bank account so that AIS can automatically charge them for any excess calls/data used.

 

So who in the right mind will accept this so called free handout?  Hence the sceptically low numbers of SIMS they have.

 

What's that old saying?  If I remember correctly it goes something like "Nothing in this world is free".

Actually - if you read the article - it seems like you might have to get them BEFORE you arrive in Thailand....

 

Quote

The campaign invites international travellers with plans to visit Thailand to participate. They can get involved in the campaign through leading online travel agents (OTAs) operating in their respective countries.

By purchasing goods or services on these OTA platforms, travellers can avail themselves of a free Amazing Thailand SIM card.

That means the online travel agents will need to somehow add this to their systems (they might not want to). It's also a bit unclear what goods or services you need to buy to get a free sim card.

[ikke1959]

they try, but sm cards and digital privileges will not attrack tourists to come to Thailand. 

But equal pricing, banned alcohol sales hours, permitting e cigarettes, and end of double pricing would do better. Besides if the RTP stops to chase foreigners to fine them, and a welcoming immigration would be positive. And for the visas..... yeah no more 90 days and a start of making a digital file of everybody, so that the millions of unnecessary copies ends.   

[ikke1959]

44 minutes ago, KannikaP said:

The distribution is set to start on Tuesday, October 17 this year and will go on until March 31, 2027, to all foreign visitors landing in Thailand. 

 

Where does your 2.5 years come into it?

the TAT calculator.....Always strange numbers

[ravip]

Seriously, who would choose a country to holiday in, just for the sake of a free SIM? Even if the data & talk time was free for a week?

 

[koolkarl]

Instead drop the 300 baht tourist fee and give free health insurance.

[RocketDog]

6 hours ago, grain said:

There seems to be these endless cycles of luring more foreign visitors with gifts and easy visas, then after the foreigners numbers increase, they start making things difficult again and coming up with plans to charge the foreigners extra and bring in extra taxes. 

Walker passes a farm and see the farmer has  a pig with one leg missing.

He asks farmer why.

"he's too good a pig to eat all at once"

[brianthainess]

7 hours ago, webfact said:

As part of the campaign strategy, TAT plans to distribute one million mobile phone SIM cards and exclusive e-voucher privileges from partner organisations.

Well according to TAT's hope on arrivals, if it starts OCT 17th then they'll all be gone by the 18th  AMAZING

Edited October 13, 2023 by brianthainess

[crazykopite]

Shin Corporation is one of the major shareholders need I say who heads it up , I think we all know it’s amazing what you can do lying in a  hospital bed !

[crazykopite]

3 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

SIM cards from AIS ???? 

I forgot.... who's the owner?

The guy who got a free helicopter ride to one of the best hospitals in Bangkok 

[phil2407]

Sorry, I just don't believe those figures that TAT or the tourism agents TTA are saying 

[Bangkok Barry]

1 hour ago, KannikaP said:

3 hours ago, Bangkok Barry said:

Maybe someone might like to re-think this statement or article. Only one million cards available for ALL foreign visitors during a 2.5 year period. Really? None of this makes sense - except to a Thai, I suppose.

The distribution is set to start on Tuesday, October 17 this year and will go on until March 31, 2027, to all foreign visitors landing in Thailand. 

 

Where does your 2.5 years come into it?

Sorry. 3,5 years. My mind is already in 2024. Anyway, irrelevant. Conversation at Swampy airport in December 2023:

Tourist: Oi, where's me SIM card and vouchers what I read about? It's why I came here.

TAT: No hab. Solly sir. Only have one million to give away and gone already.

[Dogmatix]

2 hours ago, Lemsta69 said:

A million TINs for all the tax dodgers.

Remember they were going to get a million millionaires with LTR visas. So far only a couple of thousand.

[Srikcir]

5 hours ago, JayClay said:

How will this increase competition between mobile phone companies?

Especially in light of the recent merger of True and DTAC

[Toby1947]

Be careful not to get trampled in the rush for a 20bht sim card. After all you've just spent a £1000 on an economy flight, they haven't got a clue. 

[proton]

Soon 300 bhat in 700 out, double pricing, rip off taxis, over price prostitutes, lame beer and dodgy street food, whats not to like ????

[doublezero]

Believe me: This is, after all, just another amateurish enterprise to control the moves and contacts of tourists in Thailand. The next step, when tourists become aware of the reasons for the "generosity" and will not use the cards, will be, to make the use of these "free SIM Cards" compulsory.

 

After all: TIT

[bradiston]

Presumably as with all SIMs, ID is required. Easy then to track the SIM user.

[Hockeybik]

9 hours ago, Sigmund said:

If only one plot of land with the house is permitted, there is no risk of speculation.

 

Certainly one plot for a personal residence per visa holder is not going to negatively impact the Thai real estate market.

 

[Kerryd]

9 hours ago, Karma80 said:

Go to any place that allows the purchase of land and houses by foreigners and see the impact of Asian money on the local market. Careful of what you wish for.

Yeah, just ask anyone in Vancouver.

Hong Kong money has been flowing in there for decades as many (HK) Chinese wanted a "safe" place to run to in the event China decides to go full Mao and start purging everyone.

I remember seeing $250,000 homes being torn down so they could build $400,000 homes in their place and that was 25 years ago.

In the late '90s, two working professionals with no bills or kids, could barely afford the mortgage on a 1 bedroom CONDO in the Greater Vancouver area. The cheapest detached house they could have gotten was out in Mission, about 80km away.

And even then, there were people who were living in Hope, BC and commuting to Vancouver (180kms away) daily because they couldn't afford anything closer to the city.

That is why Thailand doesn't allow foreigners to own land here. They KNOW that foreign money (especially from China, Korea and Japan) would quickly drive the Thais out of the realty market.
And they know a lot (i.e. most) farmers would sell their rice fields for a quick buck and immediately spend it all (on fancy cars and clothes and jewellery) and within months would be broke with no land, no house and no job.

And they know that foreign companies would quickly snatch up all those rice fields and consolidate them into larger conglomerates that would be able to control the rice market (and sell it to whomever they wanted to). Creating a nation of welfare cases within a year or two of allowing foreign land ownership.

Some will immediately jump up and say "oh I meant they should only allow foreigners to buy 1 rai or one "property" of some kind".
Which is a joke. How many of you are currently loop-holing the law on property ownership (or on your Extension requirements) as it is ?

You can bet there'd be a hundred loop holes that would let people buy additional properties and amalgamate them into "one". Not to mention using "proxy" buyers (i.e. 10 shareholders each buy 1 rai or 1 property but sign control of it to the company owner who then does whatever he wants on that land).

And you already know that "money talks" here so it wouldn't be hard for the "money" to make sure they got whatever they wanted.

Sheesh, look at the housing prices in places like Pattaya as it is now. If they allowed foreign ownership those prices would probably triple overnight and quintuple within a year.
(Which, I'm guessing, is what some are actually hoping will happen.)

Meanwhile the Thais would be reduced to living in shanties on the other side of highway 36 because they couldn't afford anything better.

[kimamey]

6 hours ago, khunjeff said:

 

They have one million sim cards to hand out "to all foreign visitors landing in Thailand" over a period of nearly six months. Are they aware that well over one million foreign visitors land in the country every month?

 

Edit: they actually said the distribution will go on until 2027 - so I think they'll need at least a hundred million extra cards...

 

I don't think TAT have ever been very good with numbers. 

[kimamey]

3 hours ago, proton said:

Soon 300 bhat in 700 out, double pricing, rip off taxis, over price prostitutes, lame beer and dodgy street food, whats not to like ????

Blimey that sounds good.  I'll be in the next flight over. Oh hang on I already live here.

[kimamey]

3 hours ago, phil2407 said:

Sorry, I just don't believe those figures that TAT or the tourism agents TTA are saying 

Nor should you.

[Dan O]

10 hours ago, Sigmund said:

If only one plot of land with the house is permitted, there is no risk of speculation.

 

It's not like having all the major US institutional or pension funds to buy up and grab all the prime developpments in Bangkok or Phuket,  It's just about fairness in allowing a foreigner on leasehold who has paid for a house,  to own one single plot of land and furthernore, this issue was already on the table of the policy makers.

Its never been US institutions or pension funds buying up property and industries in other countries. You need to just look north for your answer to that issue. 

[spidermike007]

Why did I choose to visit Thailand? No charge for a visa and a free sim card. Why else would I want to visit? What other country is so clever? 

[Dan O]

10 hours ago, Sigmund said:

If they want tourists and quality retirees to come they should immediatly apply the following.

 

1. make visa issues with less paperwork requirements and hassles like the absurd certified copies or triple stamp notorised translations that Consulates abroad are asking

2. stop all those absurd residence certificates that banks and administrations ask on formalities

3. grant a 5 year multiple entry visa to all those who own property on leasehold and give them a fast and simple access to convert their foreigh driver licence and bank account with no hassle or absurd requirements

4, enforce the law and ban dishonest taxi drivers from cheating foreigners on refusing rides or refusing the meter

5, ban dual pricing

6. allow foreigners to own their land for one house and force the land owners who have leased land to sell if the house has been paid for in leasehold

7. sack any police officer trying to get a bribe from a foreigner

8. ban all those absurd TM forns for reporting one's own home or having to report when foreigners come over to stay in one's house

 

9.......of course, none of this will ever happen !!!...so tourism numbers may grow but tourism money will fall as once the toursts are cheated on the first day by a taxi at Bangkok airport, they just won't want to spend their money so freely.

 

Most of what you listed has nothing to do with tourist, your issues are primarily aimed at expats living in country.